


Grow Old

by wondybread



Category: Booksmart (2019)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:48:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25685323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wondybread/pseuds/wondybread
Summary: The gang goes to the beach.
Relationships: Amy/Hope (Booksmart)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 61





	Grow Old

The summer before their senior year of college and Amy's junior year, they all just so happen to be back in L.A. They’re all still _busy_ ; Amy and Molly are participating in some summer reading challenge while doing literature reviews for their upcoming research projects and Annabelle spends a majority of her time babysitting her nieces and nephews, all the while retouching websites here and there to 'clean up the UI' as she puts it. Even Hope has been burying herself in books and online articles as she drafts an outline for her thesis. Hope, quite frankly, is exhausted.

But when Hope meets up with Annabelle, grinning and sunburnt from a hike with Molly, Hope thinks about how lucky all of this is, to be in the same place at the same time as these people who have become very important to her. It feels like what their summer before college _should have_ felt like. But Hope doesn’t say any of this out loud.

They’re getting ice cream when they run into Gigi, and it’s then that Hope begins to believe that luck is truly on her side.

“You guys should come,” Gigi says enthusiastically, intensely, grasping one of Annabelle’s hands. “Jared was supposed to come but he decided to help his dad catalogue lemur-fish in the Caribbean at the last minute.”

Annabelle and Hope glance at each other.

“Molly and Amy – “ Hope starts but Gigi cuts her off with bright, eager eyes.

“Oh, they _have_ to come,” Gigi insists, squeezing Annabelle’s hand so hard that Annabelle winces. “In fact, don’t come if they can’t come. I wouldn’t really want to spend my beach getaway with only my best friends’ girlfriends.” Gigi releases Annabelle’s hand and blows out a breath. “So lame.”

Hope frowns, wondering whether she should be offended before Gigi speaks again.

“Anyway, let me know,” Gigi says, waving her phone a little and starting for the door. “Be careful. Your ice cream’s melting. Don’t want the ants to think it’s raining sugar-milk.”

Gigi bids them goodbye, and Annabelle and Hope are left staring.

“We should go with Gigi, right? It kind of sounds like fun,” Hope says, turning to Annabelle as she takes a lick of her cone.

But Annabelle is still staring at the spot where Gigi had been, frowning and rubbing her hand absently.

“She didn’t even buy anything,” Annabelle mutters just as her ice cream melts onto her hand. “Damnit.” 

Hope hands her a napkin, mulling over the idea of going to Gigi’s beach house. With Annabelle and Molly. And Amy. Hope can practically feel the sun on her skin. Can practically see Amy in the water as she splashes at Molly with a laugh, her hair glistening, heartbreakingly beautiful.

“It’ll be fun,” Hope murmurs to herself.

It turns out convincing Molly and Amy to go on a weekend trip to Gigi’s beach house doesn't take all that much convincing. And before Hope knows it, they’re in Annabelle’s car to meet Gigi there.

They’re driving along the coast and Hope’s got the window down as she listens to Molly, Amy, and Annabelle talk over the radio, Amy’s lilting voice warming her just as much as the sunlight does. 

Hope has a theory that there are moments in which she has to work hard, oftentimes painstaking and dull. Those times when she has to keep her head down and just work because there’s no way around it. And all those times lead up to break-moments, moments that overflow with joy and love and flying. This is one of those break-moments and she feels an all-encompassing freedom settle into her chest.

“You good?” Annabelle asks softly, leaning over to her a bit.

“Yeah, I’m just really excited to go to the beach. I feel like it’s been awhile since we’ve done anything just for fun,” Hope replies.

Annabelle nods, glancing at her. “We’ve been the busiest we’ve ever been.”

It’s true. Molly’s been racking up internships as if it were a profession, which is generally the case with Molly. Annabelle’s doing so well in her computer science classes that her classmates have been coming to her when they can’t get their code to work. Although, she insists that they do so because they think she's hot but Hope's quick to point out that she’s usually the only girl in her ‘nerd classes’ anyway. Amy’s on the council of at least two clubs in college. Hope’s not sure if Amy’s settled on a particular career yet, which is fine. But Hope has a feeling that she wants to go abroad again. Since Hope loves everything about her, Hope already knows how she’s gonna respond to that. Hope herself has been volunteering a lot at the museum, hoping to nab an externship with them this coming fall. 

So, yeah. They’re busier than they’ve ever been.

Hope hums, leaning back against the seat. “It’s good to be all together again. It’s good to see you and Molly.”

Annabelle grins. “You can just say you missed us, you know.” Hope snorts but Annabelle continues. “Because we’ve missed you both too.”

Hope smiles a little, turning her head toward the window. Yeah, a break-moment. When Amy lets out a laugh, Hope takes that as a confirmation.

They’re on the beach. It’s just Hope and Amy next to all of their things as they lay leisurely across the beach lounge chairs, the chairs pushed right up against one another. Hope can hear Molly, Annabelle, and Gigi squealing and yelling to each other over the waves. Hope is on her stomach as she reads, arms crossed under her chin, warm sun on her back and legs. From the sound of her slow breathing, Hope thinks that Amy is asleep next to her. So, Hope is a little surprised when she speaks.

“We should just stay here,” Amy says softly.

Hope turns her head to look up at her. She can see that Amy’s eyes are closed behind her sunglasses.

“And do what?” Hope asks curiously, although she's pretty much sold on the idea. 

Amy lifts a shoulder in a shrug.

“We could wake up at whatever time and not worry. We’d come to the beach almost everyday and sleep in the sand and under the sun. We could eat whatever we felt like and watch the sunset. We’d have bonfires at night. Or not and just slip into bed, and feel the cool air coming in through the window. Then we’d do it again the next day. And the next. And that would be our life.”

Hope hums as Amy turns to face her fully, Hope's heart beating in time to the way Amy says _our life_. 

Hope pushes herself up onto her elbows and leans over to kiss Amy’s shoulder.

“Our life,” Hope echoes with a quiet smile. Amy begins to blush so Hope continues. “Honestly, I kinda imagined us living in a tent and eating canned beans six times a day. But your idea sounds good too.”

Amy’s lips pull into a shocked frown and Hope laughs, reaching over to push Amy’s sunglasses to the top of her head. Hope sucks in a breath at Amy’s sunset eyes and brushes a thumb across Amy’s cheek.

“I do like seeing all of your freckles,” Hope comments affectionately.

“I like your – skin,” Amy says, jaw dropping a little in her panic a moment later.

Hope blinks at her. They’ve been dating for some time now and awkward comments from Amy are rare. And Hope has gotten pretty good at deciphering Amy’s meaning behind those comments anyway. She sees Amy’s eyes flick away, lower on Hope’s body and Hope gets it.

She gives Amy a sly, slow smile.

“Ah, you like seeing me in a bikini.”

Amy looks down at her hands sharply, shaking her head a little with a frown.

“That’s not – I mean, I didn’t –“ Amy stutters, cheeks a deep red.

“Because if that’s the case,” Hope interrupts, tilting her head slightly as her eyes dart to Amy’s lips, “I’d have to wear one for you more often.”

Amy’s jaw snaps shut and, if possible, blushes deeper. And Hope just thinks that it’s so utterly sweet, taking a big breath as she suppresses a grin. But then Amy catches her eye and leans down to kiss her. 

When their lips connect, Hope automatically pushes herself closer to Amy, feels the magnetic waves of want surging down from her lips past her chest and all the way down to her toes. But it’s short-lived as the backs of her legs feel abruptly cooler and her and Amy are drenched in water.

“Gigi!” Amy exclaims, edge of irritation in her voice as Hope grumbles next to her. Hope swipes saltwater out of her eyes and turns to look at Gigi with a glare.

“This bucket holds like five gallons of water, holy shit. Can’t believe I found it,” Gigi says, shaking her head in awe, holding it up a little for them to see.

Hope catches sight of something in the background behind Gigi and Hope leans around her to get a better look. It’s a boy of around three years-old, wailing loudly and pointing in their direction. _Shit_.

“Gigi, did you just steal that kid’s bucket?” Hope asks in alarm.

“Why would a kid need a bucket this big?” Gigi shoots back. She curls an arm around the bucket rather defensively.

“Oh, boy. Come one, Gigi,” Amy says, rising from her perch and taking Gigi’s arm firmly as she drags her towards the boy and presumably his parents who are attempting to console him.

Amy turns to Hope as she’s walking.

“Let’s go swimming!” Amy calls to her and Hope nods with a grin.

Hope pushes herself to her feet, stretching and tilting her chin towards the sun. When she's done, she strolls over in Amy and Gigi's direction. She spots Amy crouching down in front of the boy and speaking earnestly with a soft smile as he sniffles a little but is otherwise calm. 

Hope realizes that she’s been having a lot of break-moments lately. It’s only now dawning on her that Amy might have something to do with that.

**Author's Note:**

> summer's almost over and i needed something short and light and sweet. i'm working on the other thing, i promise. i just suddenly had a lot of work to take care of and i finished one of them recently. this thing came out of having finished that. i didn't proof this the way i normally do so my bad if there's errors. hope you all are well and thank you for reading!


End file.
